Bottle filler and capper.



T. L. VALERIUS. BOTTLE FILLER AND OAPPBR.

7 APPLICATION FILED JAN- 4, 1909. 1,072,795, Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

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T. L. VALERIUS. BOTTLE FILLER AND GAPPER.

APPLICATION FILED JANA, 1909.

Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

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T. L. VALERIUS. BOTTLE FILLER AND GAPPER.

APPLICATION FILED JANA, 1909.

1,072,795, Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

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/' 7140- 14% fz'mw'w APPLICATION FILED JANA, 1909.

T. L. V ALBRIUS. BOTTLE FILLER AND GAPPER.

Patented Sept. 9, 1913. ms snnmr 4 IYI T. L. VALERIUS.

BOTTLE FILLER AND OAPPER. APPLICATION FILED JANA, 1909.

072,795. Patented Sept. 9,1913;

8 SHEETS SHBET 5.

T. L. VALERIUS.

BOTTLE FILLER AND OAPPER.

APPLIOATION FILED JANA, 1909.

Patented Sept. 9,

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T. L..VALER IUS. BOTTLE FILLER AND UAPPER.

A PPLIGATION TIL ED JANA, 1909. Patented Sept. 9,

8 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

T. L. VALERIUS.

BOTTLE FILLER AND OAPPER. APPLICATION FILED JANA, 1909.

1 O?2,795, I Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

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rnnononn L. vALEmUs, oFroRT ATKINSON, Wisconsin, nssmnoa :ro CREAMERY PACKAGE MANUFACTURING OF ILLINOIS.

Barrie FILLER nun cnzernn.

Specification of Letters ratent.

COMPANY, or cHIoAeo, rumors, n-co'nronn'rxon Patented septa, 1913.

Application filed January 4, 1909. Serial No. 470,568.

To all whom, it may concern:

, One of the objects of this invention is 'to provide a machine for simultaneously filling all ofthe bottles in a case or crate of bottles.

A further object is to provide a unitary machine capable of filling and stoppering bottles.

As herein shown, the invention is embodied in a machine for filling and capping cased milk bottles. 7

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, with parts broken away, ofa machine'embodying the fe'atiires-of my invention. Fig. 2- is a front elevation of said machine, with parts in section.- Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken upon the plane of line 3' 3 of Fig. 1, with the bottle support omitted. Y Fig. 4 is an irregular horizontal section through theactuating. mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a verticalsection through the actuatino' mechanism. Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken upon a vertical plane extending through one of the capping mechanisms Fig. 7"is a fragmental sectional view showing the mechanism of Fig. 6 in front elep with this. machine. The case herein shown.

(Fig. 6) comprises 'sides and ends a, partlvation.

Fig. 8 is a' sectional detail of the actuating mechanism on line8 8 of Fig 5. Fig. is a section on line 9 9 of Fig. 8. Flg.

.10 ilustra-tes a means for preventing the feeding forward of a case of. bottles when another case is being capped. Fig. 11 is adetail view ofa device comprised in abottle support.

. The embodiment herein show of my inven-- tion is designed for filling and'capping pint milk b'ottles set in cases, each case being adapted to hold twent bottles arranged in, four tIaIISVBISB: IOWS o= five bottles each. A

case of any suitable construction may be used tions 6 and rods a forming the bottom of the case. u

The frame of the machine in this instancecomprises twoend frames 1 and 2 rigidly secured together by suitable means, such as the cross rods 3, 4, 5 and 6.

At the front the machine is a stationary tank 7 supported upon; posts 8. fixed to and rising from the end frames 1 .and 2. )The tank 7 carries a plurality of filli'ngvalves 9,"

one for each bottle in the case, said valves being arranged in four transverse rows of five valves each. These valves may be of the 1 constl'uction shown in Patent No. 888,769, issued May 26, .1908, and need not be here described. They are opened to permit milk to flow from the tank 7 to the bottles by raising said bottles into contact withjsaid valves. The means herein shown for raising and lowering the bottle case comprises a slide frame 10 (Fig. std-mounted upon vertical guide rails 11 fixed to the inner sides of the end frames '1 and 2. To the upper endof the slide frame 10 is fixed a table or frame- -work 12to support the bpttle case. The slide frame 10 is vertically reciprocated by means comprising an arm 13 pivotally' supported upon a shaft 14.

Rearwardly of the filling devices is a transverse row of five capping mechanisms. The case of bottles is moved through the machine from the front thereof, to the filling devices and .thence to the capping mechanisms upon atrack herein shown as consisting of two angle bars 15 and 16, said bars being. fixed to the brackets. 17 and 18 carried by the. cross rods 3 and 5. Said track extends far enough in front of the filling mechanism to support a case of empty bottles Fixed to The slide bars 20 carry at their forward ends pivoted dogs22 (Figs; 1 and 3) that are- .yi'eldingly held by springs 23 in posit-ion to engage a bottle case placed upon the track When the slide bars 20' by the opera-tor. are moved rearwardly, the dogs 22 push said bottlecase' into place beneath the tank 7, said bottle case pushing before it the previously filled bottle, case, rearwardly far enoughto' bring the rearmosttransverse row of bottles in said filled case directly beneath the row of capping devices. The slide bars 21 are provided tomove the filled bottle case Z rearward'ly s tep bystepto bringi the rows of 2 bottles in said case successively into position .for the capping operation. Each of said slide bars 21 carries three spring-pressed 1 yieldable' dogs 24, 25 and 26 which engage Referring to Figs. 6 and 7:

the filled bottle case in the order. named. The slide bars 20 are reciprocated by means comprising two levers 27 pivotally supported upon the end frames 1 and .2 and connected with the slide bars by means of links 28 pivoted to studs 29 onsaid slide bars. The end frames 1 and 2 are slotted, as at 30 (Fig. 1) to accommodate the studs 29. Each of the slide bars 21 is reciprocated by means of an arm 31 pivotally mounted upon a shaft 32, the upper end of said arm being forked to receive 'a pin 33 on-the slide bar.

As herein shown, the capping devices are similar, in a general way, to those described in Patent No. 888,770, issued May 26, 1908.

A frame member 34 slidably supports a row of vertically extending tubular shellsor plunger guides 35 in each of which is mounted. a vertically reciproeatory plunger .36. Each of the plungers 36 is provided withan upwardly extending stem 37 which passes loosely through a transverse drive-head 38. The drive-head 38 is carried by a pair of vertically reciprocatory bars 39 guided in guide pieces 40. The bars 39.are reciprocated by means of crank arms 41 fixed on the ends of a rotary shaft 42, links 43 connecting said crank arms with the bars The downward stroke of the drive-head 38 is in excess of the downward stroke of the plungers 36, the plunger stems 37 being yleldingly connected tov the drive-head 38 by means of coiled springs 44 encircling the stems 37 and interposed between said drive-head and collars 45 fixed on the plunger stems.

46 are collars fixed to the plunger stems 37 above the drive-head 38.

At the end of their downward movement, the plunger stems 37 are stopped by the engagement of lugs 47 carried by collars 48 fixed on said stems, with the upper ends of the plunger guides 35. The plunger guides 35 are depressed by suitable mechanism upon the mouths of the bottles just in advance ofthe descent of the plungers 36. lVhen the plungers ascend. the plunger guides are raised. thereby permitting the movement of the bottle case to place the next transverse row of bottles in line with the capping mechanism. A means for thus actuating the plunger guides will now be described. f

The cross rod or shaft 6 serves as a fulcrum for a series of levers 49, said leversbeing connected respectively to depending rods 50 which are pivotally connected at their lower ends to lugs 51 projecting from the plunger guides 35. Pivotally connected with the opposite end of each lever 49 is a telescopic connecting rod 52 comprising a rod 53 and a sleeve 54, the latter being provided with a slot 55 to'receive a pin 56 proj ecting from the rod 53. Between the sleeve 54 and a shoulder on the rod 53 is a com- ,downward movement of the pression spring57 which normally holds the telescopic connecting rod 52 extended to its greatest length.

The lower end of each telescopic connecting rod 52 is pivotally connected to an arm 58 fixed upon atransverse rock shaft 59. To each end of the rock shaft 59 is fixed a cam arm 60 (Fig. l), the outer end of which cam arm is bifurcated, forming an upper portion-60 and a lower longer portion 60". Each slide bar 39 carries a projection 61 which engages in the recess between the por tions 60 and 60". The downward movement of said slide bars 39 causes the projection 61 to rock the cam arms 60 and thereby rock the shaft 59. This movement of the shaft 59 elevates the series of rock arms 58 and causes the plunger guides 35 to be depressed onto the mouths of the bottles. The lower end of each plunger guide is provided with a bottle-registering device 62 (described in detail in Patent No. 888,770 hereinbefore mentioned) which, when the plunger guide is approaching the end of its downward stroke, impinges upon the mouth of the bottle and automatically moves the bottle into concentric position with the plunger guide and the plunger, should the bottle be slightly out of proper position. The plunger guide is arrested by the bottle.

As shown in Fig. 6, a portion of the rear wallof the plunger guide 35 is cut away, and the sides thereof are extended rear- Wardly in the portions 63 and connected by an inclined plate 64. The sides 63 and the plate 64 form a chute through which caps are delivered into the guide. A stationary vertically extending back plate 65 is secured close to theback of the chute and passes through a slot in the bottom thereof.

The cap magazines 66, one for each of the plungers 36, are secured in horizontal position in the frame of the machine. An ejector slide 67 is mounted to traverse the front end of each magazine. The inner face of the slide 67 is provided with a recess 68, the width of which is equal to or slightly more than the diameter of a cap, and the depth of which is approximately equal to the thickness of one cap. The ejector slides 67 are reciprocated by means of rock arms 69, the hubs of which are rotatably mounted on the rock shaft 59. The free end of each arm 69'engages in an opening 70 in one of the .ejector slides 67. A collar 71 fixed on the shaft 59 carries a projection 7 2 that overlies .a rearward extension 73 on the rock arm 69.

Attached to the collars 71 are springs 74 through which the initial rocking movements of the shaft 59 are transmitted to the rock arms 69 to cause the downward strokes of the ejector slides 67. Said ejector slides are positively elevated by the action of the members 72 upon the extensions 73.

Each of'the cap magazines 66 is in the form of a tube, with its upper portion cut away. The capsare fed through the magazine by means comprising a follower 75 which is movable longitudinally of the magazine upon rods 76 fixed with relation to said magazine. I

77 is a block having astem 78 slidably mounted in the follower 7 5, a coiled spring 7 yieldingly'holding the block 77 against the rear. end of the stick ofcaps.

The follower 75 is moved by suitable means, such 'as a weight 80 attached to a cord 81 fixed to the carriage and extending overguide sheaves 82 and 83, the latter v sheave being mounted upon a shaft 84 that is carried by arms 85 fixed to the cross rod 6. A spring hook'86 fixed to the-rear end of the magazine may be "employed to hold the follower 75 in inoperative position.

In order to afford additional support for the bottles during the capping operation and thereby prevent straining or excessive springing of the bars 0, I provide suitable means, -as, for example, a rock shaft 87 mounted in the supporting frame and havingfixed thereto five spring fingers 88 (Figs. 5, (Sand, 11) adapted-to underlie the bottle casedirectly beneath the row of hottles being capped, and support said bottles when the caps are driven into the mouths thereof. The shaft 87 is rocked to raise the spring arms 88 bymeans herein shown as comprising'a cam 89 fixed upon the shaft 42 and engaging aroller 90 carriedb; a

fork 91, said fork slidably embracing the shaft 42 and being adjustably connected by a screw rod 92 teen arm 93fixedto the rock shaft 87.

The mechanism for causing the filling mechanism, the capping mechanism and the case-moving mechanism to perform their functions automatically and cooperatively will nowbe described.

The shaft 14 is provided with adrive pulley 94 and constitutes the drive shaft of the machine. 7 Fixed upon said shaft is a pinion 95 meshing'with the spur gear'wheel 96, which is fixed upon a" sleeve'97 that is rotatably mounted on a shaft 98. Rigidly attached to said sleeve is; a gear wheel 99 that meshes with a gearwheel 100 rotatabl'y carried by ashaft 101. A pinion 102'is rigidly attached to the gear wheel 100 and engages a spur gear 103 loose on a shaft"104.

When the machine is in use the drive shaft 14 and the gears, 95, 96, 99, 100, 102 and 103 are continuously driven, but the shafts 98, 101 and 104 are rotated only while the operations of fillin and capping, are act-us ally taking place. 7 he shaft 98 actuates the case-moving slides 20, the shaft 101 raises and lowers the table 12,'While the shaft 104 actuates-the case-moving slides 21, the cap- -4S5 ping mechanism, the bottle supporting the shaft 42 is a cam or eccentric 111 which engages a yoke 112 fixed on. the rock shaft 32. Upon the shaft 98 is slidably but nonrotatably mounted a clutch member 113 (Figs. 2, 4 and 5) having upon one end clutch teeth adapted tov engage similar teeth formed upon the gear 99. tends to move the member 113 into clutch connection with said gear wheel. Similar clutch members 115 and 116, provided with. springs 117 and 118, are mounted upon the shafts 101 and 104'and arranged to engage the gear wheels 100. and 103, respectively. The clutch member 113 is moved out of operative position and normally held in such position by means comprising two diametrically opposite cam blocks 119 fixed on said clutchmember and arranged to ride up on a clutch pm 120, said' clutch pin being slidablymounted in the framework of the ing lever 121 which. is pivoted in the machine vframe. A similar lever 122 at the opposite side-of the machine is connected to the lever 121 by a rod 123 to form a treadle.

Said treadle is connected to a hand lever 124 by a link 125. A spring 126 tends to hold the clutch pin 120 in the position shown in Fig. 5. When the pin 120 is momentarily withdrawn from engagement with a cam block 119, the spring 114 slides the clutch member 113 into engagement with the rotating gear wheel 99 whereupon the. shaft 98 and the clutch member 113 are rotated until a 'cam block 119 engages the clutch A spring 114 I machine and being connected to an operat- Y pin 120. As the cam block rides up on the pin the clutch member 113' is slid, against the pressure of the spring 114, out of clutch 'with the gear 99. A spring 127 somewhat stronger thanthe spring 114, tends to move the pin laterally in its bearings. Said spring 127, supplementing the action of the cam blocks 119, moves the clutch member 113 slightly to free thejclutch teeth on 'said clutch member from the clutch teeth on the gear wheel. The openings through which the pin 120 extends are somewhat larger than the pin, in order to permit-of a slight sidewise movement of the-latter? The shaft 98', inits rotation, sets the shaft 101 to 'rotating, and the latter starts the shaft 1 04. Upon the clutch member 113 are two diametrically opposite studs 128 arranged to engage and depress a lever 129,

, arranged to be engaged by two diametrically opposite cam blocks on the clutch member 115 similar to the blocks 119. A spring 131 tends to hold said clutch pin in operative position. 'A spring 132 attached to the lever 129 serves a purpose similar to that of the spring 127.

133 is a stud on the clutch member 115 arranged to engage a lever 134 swiveled on the rod 4, said lever operating a clutch pin 135 adapted to be engaged by .a cam block 136 on the clutch member 116 similar to the blocks 119. The clutch pin 135 is normally held in operative position by a spring 137.

138 is a spring serving the same purpose as the sprin s 127 and 132.

Any suita le means may be provided for preventing the shafts 98, 101 and 104 from The drawings.

rotating by momentum. show friction brakes 139 for the shafts 101 and 104. I

In Fig; 1 the mechanism is shown at rest, a case of bottles having been elevated into filling position, the valves being open and milk flowing into the bottles. While the bottles are filling the operator sets a-case of einpty bottles on the angle tracks-15 in front of -the case being operated upon. When the bottles in the elevated case are full, the operator lifts the hand lever 124, thereby withdrawing the clutch pin 120 from engagement with {the clutch member 113. The shaft 98 is now rotated through half a revolution-to move the case-slides 20 into initial position, that is to say, toward the left, Fig. 1. --In the rotation of said shaft, one of the studs 128 engages the lever 129 and thereby clutches the'shaft 101 to the gear wheel 100, whereupon said shaft is rotated through a half revolution,.lowering the case of filled bottles? The operator then operates the lever: 124 to set; the shaft 98 in rotation, the resulting movement of the slides 20 pushing the case of empty bottles .onto the table 12 and said case pushing before it the case of filled bottles to bring the rearmost trans-i verse row of bottles into. position beneath the capping mechanism. By the time the case of empty bottles is on the table 12, one ofthe studs 128 has engaged the lever 129, thereby'causing the shaft 101 to be rotated through a half-revolution to lift said ease into filling position The shaft, 104 meantime'having been clutched :to the gear wheel 103 through -.the action of the stud 133 upon the lever-134,,the capping mechanism is actuated to cap the four rows of bottles in the filled case successively, the slides 21 being reciprocated-three times to feed the case rearwardly step step. A case-of empty 7 1 bottles having been set upon the tracks 15,

the elevated case is lowered when the bottles therein are filled, by lifting the hand lever 1.24, and the cycle of operation repeated.

It will be understood that the rate of flow of the milk varies with temperature and other conditions. The operator is enabled to keep the case elevated as long as may be necessary to fill the bottles and may also lower the bottles whenever desirable from any cause, as, for example, the discovery of a defect in the bottles.

In order to render it impossible to advance a case of bottles toward the capping mechanism, while the bottles in another case are being capped, I provide arms 140 (Figs. 1, 3 and 10) fixed upon the ends of a rock shaft 141 carried in brackets 142 fixed to the angle tracks 15, said arms being arranged to be swung into position alongside the dogs- 22 to hold said dogs out of position to engage a bottle case. The arms 140 are operated by means such as a slide bar 143 suitably supported in the machine frame and connected at its forward end with an arm 140 by means of a link 144 andattached at its rear end to an arm 145 (Fig. 5) pivotally supported at 146 in the supporting frame. Rigid with the arm 145 is an arm 147 arranged to be engaged by a pin 14S upon one side of the spur gear 109. As soon as said spur gear wheel is set in rotation (which occurs with the commencement of the capping operation) the pin 148 runs off the end of the arm 147, whereupon a spring 149 rocks the arm 145 to swing the arms 140 into guarding position, that is to'say, into position to hold the dogs 22 retracted. If, now, the'operator should inadvertently lift the lever 124, thus actuating the slides 20, said slides would be unable to engage and move a case. Simultaneously with the com pletion of the capping operation the pin 148 engages the'arm 147 thereby throwing the arms 140 into the position shown in Fi 1.

ased qua-rt bottles are ordinary arranged in three transverse rows of four bottles each. It will therefore be seen that a machine for filling and capping quart bottles will differ from the machine herein shown principally in the number of filling valves and capping devices, the shaft 42 being rotated three times to each rotation of the shaft 104, instead of four times, as herein shown.

Various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the mechanism herein shown. I, therefore, desire not to be limited tothe details set forth.

I claim as my invention: I

1. In a cased-bottle filler, in combination, filling means; case-moving means; and means controlled by said case-moving means for inaugurating the filling operation.

2. A unitary cased-bottle filler and capper first mentioned slide being arranged to move a case wlthin reach of the second mentioned slide; auxiliary bottle supporting means;

- case-engaging means on said slide; and

means for operating said case-engaging means to render said case-engaging means inoperative.

16. In a bottle filler, in combination, bottle-filling means; a *reciprocatory slide for moving a case to and away from said filling means, said slide having a yieldable 'case engaging dog; a member pivoted in position to press said dog out of operative position when the slide is in a certain position; and means for moving said member into and out of operative position.

17. In a bottle filler, in combination, an elevated tank provided with filling valves; a track extendin horizontally beneath said tank; a slide gui ed for movement alongside said track; a pivoted spring-pressed; dog mounted on said slide in position to engage a bottle case supported upon said track; means for reciprocating said slide; a member supported near one end of the travel of saidsllde; and means for moving said memlgler into and out of the path of said pivoted 18. In a bottle filler and capper, in combination, bottle-filling means; bottle-capping means; a reciprocatory slide for moving a case to and awayfrom said filling means, said slide having a yieldable case-engaging dog; a movable member located in position to press said dog out of operative position when the slide is in a certain position; and means actuated by the capping means for moving said member into and out of operative position.

f F 19. In a bottle filler and capper, in combination, bottle-filling means; bottle-capping means; means for moving a case to and away from said filling means; a member adapted to render said moving means inoperative; a

pivoted member connected to said first mentioned member; means for actuating said capping means, said actuating means comprising a movable member carrying a pin adapted to engage said pivoted member, said pin being movable out of engagement with said pivoted member upon movement of said movable member; and a spring for swinging said pivoted member w en said pin has moved out of engagement with said pivot-ed member.

THEODORE VALERIUS.

Witnesses: 4

ROBERT B. CoRnIsH, ARTHUR HUNTRESS. 

